It seemed odd to many that Hughes believed the Earth was flight despite being a rocket engineer. Please refresh the page and try again. In the aftermath of Hughess death, many viewed it as the ultimate culmination of the dangers of pseudoscience, heavily criticizing the media, particularly the Science Channel, for giving oxygen to his views. The rocket came down about a mile away, near some hills to the north. Still, other flat-earthers believe that Hughes never thought the earth is flat but merely used the flat-earth movement to gain fame and financial backing. Michael passed away of cause of death on month day 1958, at age 5 at death place, Colorado. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. On the 3rd of February 2018, Mike began his live-stream, where his rocket steam release malfunction leading the launch aborted. Help us to update this page. He built his first manned rocket in 2014 a contraption he called the X-2 SkyLimo and managed to launch himself more than 1,300 feet over Winkelman, Ariz., he told the Associated Press. Its easy to ridicule the Mike Hugheses of the world, have-nothings who gamble their lives on a lottery offering only a microscopic chance of success. But I also wanted to keep my distance emotionally, as if that would inoculate me from blame if everything went south. Mike Hughes taking a break in August 2019 while prepping his rocket for a launch in the Mojave Desert. Yeah, for sure, absolutely it was. And Ill always regret it. It was late afternoon, and the guys were thrashing to get Mike into the rocket before the last of the light faded. This was it. Mikes height and weight hadnt been disclosed publically. Get started Geni World Family Tree. Ive got balls, and I will roll the dice.. Mad Mike Hughes died Saturday at age 64. Need to estimate, from trillions of miles away, how likely another world is to host life? The risks seemed negligible. A freelance journalist named Justin Chapman and his wife witnessed this crash. I listened skeptically as Waldo sketched out the scenario in the wood-paneled living room of Mikes small, dark, sparsely furnished house, while four cats slinked shamelessly over the sofa and coffee table. He had intentions to built multiple rockets that fly into the outer space and take pictures of the entire Earth as a flat disc. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. So instead of floating gently to the ground, he crash-landed after a wild 11-second flight. My editor there pitched the piece to his colleagues as a classic WIRED chronicle of DIY obsessives who were attempting something that typically requires tens of millions of dollars, scads of engineers, and endless testing. Nature had given Hughes the heart of a 60-year-old man. Despite making a hard landing in the Mojave Desert, he sustained no serious injuries. The column detailed a 1999 attempt by Hughes to build a car from leftover pieces and use it to qualify for NASCARs Winston Cup Series. But that project, while far-fetched, had some legitimate merits, whereas this was purely a PR stunt. The canopies shredded. If a manufacturer of cars or any other product knowingly makes things that are defective that ultimately results in severe injury or death, then they are culpable. I also wondered if Hughes was serious about the earth being flat; assuming he was, I thought about the implications of his death when it came. It is believed to be a point between outer space and earths atmosphere or in simple words, beginning of the space. The project sounded insanely sketchy. But if Mike was going to be flying it, then I figured I ought to cover the event. Fatal Rocket Crash Landing", "Daredevil dies during homemade rocket launch in California", "A Daredevil Flat Earther Died After Attempting To Launch Himself 5,000 Feet With A Homemade Rocket", "Mike Hughes, 64, D.I.Y. What did he expect? Your email address will not be published. I shouldn't have been there to witness it. The mayor/owner of Amboy, along with two of the three full-time residents. So the project was more serious than two goofballs chasing an impossible dream, and from a technical standpoint, it seemed feasible, if not entirely plausible. A rival steam-engine builder. Down the line! It drives me crazy. But because I was there, ostensibly covering the event as news even though I knewlike nearly everybody else watching the launchthat it was a pointlessly stupid stunt. Trying to set a land speed record or breaking the sound barrier struck me as goals worth aspiring to. Like any daredevil, I think theyre driven by a sense of that need to do something incredible but also to risk their life, said Toby Brusseau, who directed Rocketman, a 2019 documentary about Hughes. Terms of Service apply. He, in turn, was fascinated by daredevils, from Evel Knievel to Annie Edson Taylor, the retired schoolteacher who plunged down Niagara Falls inside a barrel in 1901. Mad Mike Hughes died on February 22 when the parachutes on his homemade steam rocket failed to deploy and he augured into the sagebrush near Barstow, California, like a giant lawn dart plummeting at more than 300 miles per hour. The calculations to launch a payload into space, whether a satellite or a human being, have been well understood ever since 1944, when a Nazi V-2 designed by Wernher von Braun first left Earths atmosphere. At least I can go home and have dinner and see my cats tonight., A post shared by Rocketman. My girlfriend is a fanatical Roger Federer fan who dies a little every time he loses a point. He lived in California. He was a lonely guy, Linn said. I took Mike aside and told him, Dont get in that rocket unless you feel comfortable. As it happened, the rocket wasnt ready to fly in time. Mad Mike Hughes Cause of Death: As a part of a stunt, Mike was attached with a homemade rocket which was launched but quickly it was crashed. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Hughes acknowledged there were risks, telling the Associated Press: "It's scary as hell. Mikes rep,Darren Shuster, toldTMZthat, upon launching, Mikesparachute got snagged by a ladder next to the rock. In the days leading up to the fatal crash, Discovery.com posted a video of Hughes showing off the rocket in his front yard. Before joining the newsroom in 2016, she was a general assignment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com. For better or worse, he was totally committed to the project. He thought the lunar landing had been a hoax. Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes died during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket Saturday. All rights reserved. The tragic difference here is that he was duped into a ridiculous and unnecessary proof of something that is already beyond requiring any further evidence. I could run for president. Its not clear how strongly he held the conviction, or if he really believed it at all. Some people just get perverse delight out of fooling people into believing something absurd. This was in Amboy. [8], In 2016, Hughes launched a failed fundraising attempt for a rocket that raised $310. Hughes defiantly stated that the dispute would not stop him from flying: "I'm a daredevil. Mike Hughes was born in 1955. Period.) And in this sense, he was successful: though he says there were some background conversations within the community regarding the question of whether Hughes could crash, all in all Sargent considered the campaign the best $8,000 we ever spent, due to the enormous amount of media attention it garnered for the Flat Earth cause. That launch seemed to go flawlessly, as the parachute remained intact and slowed his descent. I could run for governor and be a shoo-in. Waldo asked me, You know what will happen if we get him into space and get him down alive?, Ill be the most famous guy on the planet! Mike crowed before I could reply. Hughes was a member of the Flat Earth community, a subculture consisting of people who (despite all scientific evidence pointing squarely to the contrary) believe that the Earth is not round, but flat. Just a slender projectile hurtling silently to the ground. Why didnt we turn away? The UK Is Enduring an Onslaught of Scarlet Fever. Mad Mike died at the age of 64. (Apparently, theyd been stolen by local meth heads.). "[5] A fundraising campaign to cover the costs of the delay raised around $100 of its $10,000 goal. This was partly out of a sense of self-preservation; at this point, the rocket was effectively a bomb. Question what your congressman is doing, your city council. Information about his personal life is not available. All Rights reserved. Mad Mike attracted attention for his conspiracy theories and for documenting his bold pursuits. During his failed rocket launch in March 2018, the $20K rocket was named Research Flat Earth, and was crowdfunded by a group of the same name. It is unknown to us exactly what he did to earn an income, but it was clearly earning something because he invested a lot into building his home made rockets trying to prove his false claims of flat earth. It was horrible, he says. Privacy Policy and Hughes, who believed the Earth is flat, had previously said his goal was to fly to the edge of outer space and see for himself if the world is round. He was 64. Why would people promote such a lie? Hughes reported no serious injury from the landing. It made him feel alive to do these types of stunts. There is nothing in the world I could have done to prevent Mike from riding a steam rocket to his death, but I didnt have to be there when it happened. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The rocket launched at a sharp angle to avoid falling back to Earth on public land. His mission was to launch his vessel to a height of 35,000-feet in . Homepage / Uncategorized / mike hughes cause of death; mike hughes cause of death. Hughes famously launched himself nearly 1,900 feet upward in a homemade steam-powered rocket early in 2018. Over the years, hed worked as a motorcycle racer, race car fabricator, race car mechanic, NASCAR crew chief, and limousine driver. Is the US Next? The rocket launch was originally scheduled for the weekend of November 25, 2017; Hughes then rescheduled for December 2, 2017, blaming ongoing difficulties in obtaining permissions. I think were looking at 50-50, Waldo said blithely. Mike Hughes was born in Barstow, California, in 1955. For shame on you all. We all understood that the chances of success were minimal. There have been other terrible injuries. His birth name was Michael Hughes. After three weekends of failure, Mike and Waldo put the project on hiatus. He died while attempting to his homemade rocket in Amboy, California. I knew that sending Mike into space would be far more dangerous than launching the steam rocket. Mike Hughes, a go-it-alone daredevil, limousine stunt driver and self-taught astronaut who professed to believe that the Earth was flat and who was known to supporters as Mad Mike, died in a . MIKE, THROW THE GODDAMNED CHUTE!. For more than 250 years, mathematicians have wondered if the Euler equations might sometimes fail to describe a fluids flow. No more delays. The author interviewing Mike while the TV crew films, August 2019. Alaskas Arctic Waterways Are Turning a Foreboding Orange. Death. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Hughes family and friends during this difficult time, a spokeswoman for the network said in a statement. A handful of newcomers had shown up. [22] The launch event was being filmed for the Science Channel television series Homemade Astronauts, in which Hughes was to star. Head coach Joe Schmidt and the entire Lions team attended Hughes' funeral in San Antonio. He desperately wanted to be rich and famous and realized that his most marketable asset was his willingness to risk his life, so he risked it often. The direct cause of death was a coronary thrombosis, which caused a massive myocardial infarction that cut off the blood flow to his heart. https://www.instagram.com/thisisrocketman/?utm_source=ig_embed. It was always his dream to do this launch & Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey". Very likely did not survive. Following the sudden announcement that the forecaster had died on Wednesday night's episode of the Discovery. [11][12] There was no video of Hughes entering the rocket and there were doubts that he was in it when it launched. Those dreams ended on the edge of the Mojave Desert. On February 22, Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes perished when his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. Then we waited anxiously for Mike to deploy the parachutes. Waldo checked out the steam rocket Mike had built at a truck shop in Fontana. Also, after a visual inspection, other members of the crew were convinced that the rocket was going to clip the frame of the launch rig on the way up. Hughes 2002 feat in Perris, California still holds the world record for longest limousine ramp jump, according to the Guinness World Records website. Video posted online shows the exact moment Mad Mike Hughes homemade rocket came crashing down to Earth after a failed launch attempt, killing the self-styled daredevil. Flat Earth-assisted crowdfunding campaigns. Nevertheless, Mike Hughess funeral hasnt been revealed yet. After five seconds, the plume disappeared as the last of the steam escaped through the nozzle. He had said he intended to make multiple rocket journeys, culminating in a flight to outer space, where he believed he would be able to take a picture of the entire Earth as a flat disc. The reaction of the flat-earth community has been varied. Chute! It will be updated soon. RIP Mike Hughes Even Sargent, a member of a community that raised money to support Hughes daredevil efforts, questioned the decision to make the documentary. I felt the hollow ache of nervous anticipation as Mike strapped on his helmet and climbed the stairs to the cockpit. mike hughes cause of death Id met Mike before, but this was my first extended conversation with him. Mike's steam rocket on the launch rail in August 2019. Michael Hughes, popularly known as "Mad" Mike Hughes, was an American limousine driver, professed flat-Earther, and daredevil known for flying in self-built steam rockets. Likewise Mike Hughes' tragic death. Famously known as Mad Mike Hughes, the daredevil rocket-maker died while attempting to blast himself into the sky on February 22, 2020, according to TMZ. His rocket flew 1,374 feet over Winkelman, Arizona in just over one minute. He held an American nationality. [27][28], Hughes was the main focus of the 2019 documentary Rocketman: Mad Mike's Mission to Prove the Flat-Earth. Re: Death of Mike Hughes Reply #31 on: March 02, 2020, 12:57:32 PM Yes, publically he was a flat earth believer, however behind the scenes there is a lot of evidence to suggest he wasn't, and just slapped the sticker on because then he gets media attention. Mounted nearly 15 degrees from vertical on a launch rail that resembled an industrial-grade erector set, the rocket looked like the kind of thing you might have doodled during an especially tedious junior-high earth science classa slender fuselage bracketed by a needle-shaped nose and four fins at the base. And we in the media enabled him. In Vegas, Hughes became both limousine chauffeur and daredevil; he took to referring to himself as the worlds most famous limo driver.. He Jiankui discusses his plans for finding cures for devastating genetic diseases. A Philadelphia native, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in medical anthropology and global health. Michael passed away of cause of death on month day 2008, at age 75 at death place, Florida. I knew, and I was there just the same. He authored the cartoon book, Whoops Airlines. So the carnival headed back to Amboy last summer. Your newsletter signup did not work out. A freelance journalist named Justin Chapman and his wife witnessed this crash. Despite the coverage Hughes efforts attracted, he was a highly divisive figure within the Flat Earth community. "[13], The untested initial rocket was intended to reach a speed of 500mph (800km/h); further rocket trips, which were to be launched from a balloon 20 miles (32km) up,[14] were intended to reach above the atmosphere into outer space. Was it worth it to create the awareness?, Sargent asked, referring to the communitys helping to fund and draw attention to Hughess suicidal efforts. [1][2] He died on February 22, 2020, while filming a stunt for an upcoming Science Channel television series. In 2012, I wrote a story about the car he was building in an effort to break the sound barrier. He died following his steam-powered rocket crash-landing an open desert in Barstow, California. It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey. They did not respond to a follow-up question regarding the ethics of chronicling said journey, given the major risks involved and the unscientific nature of Flat Earth conspiracy theories. Daredevil and Amateur rocket-engineer, Mike Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020. As he knew how to keep his professional and personal life maintained. [3] Although a public promoter of the flat Earth model, following his death his public relations representative said that Hughes had only used flat Earth as a PR stunt to acquire funding for his rockets. Still, others are motivated by money. He built his first crewed rocket in January 2014. Thank you for signing up to receive email newsletters from Answers in Genesis. Predictably, everything went wrong during the next attempt, when Mikes latest steam rocket ignited prematurely, before hed even climbed into the cockpit. Not only that, he was a Guinness world record holder for jumping 103-foot in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. He was likable, funny, and surprisingly boyish for somebody who was nearly 64. He raised thousands of dollars onGoFundMe to finance the construction of his rockets. Hughes spent his childhood in Oklahoma City. On Saturday, 64-year-old "Mad" Mike Hughes was killed when a rocket he was attached to crashed in the desert in San Bernardino County, California. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time So it was possible to indulge in some magical thinking and imagine that maybe, against all odds, Mike might be able to emerge from the cockpit reasonably unscathed. Hughes was officially pronounced dead at 5:34 p.m. An autopsy revealed that he had died of acute coronary thrombosis, brought on by premature hardening of the arteries. Hughes was a member of the Flat Earth . Now theres a breakthrough. "Mad" Mike Hughes, 64, crash-landed his steam-powered rocket shortly after. The next year, he tried for a new record of 125 feet, covering his body in bubble wrap and gunning his 3-ton white Cadillac limousine up a ramp at 65 mph at the Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino. Waldo heard that somebody was trying to reprise Knievels spectacularly unsuccessful 1974 jump across Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered rocket. Thanks for contacting us. And when it comes down to it, he deserves kudos for that.. For me, Flat Earth is bigger than my friends and family and even my own life. [18], On February 22, 2020, Hughes died near Barstow, California, following the crash of a rocket he was piloting, built by Hughes and his collaborator Waldo Stakes. #MadMike #MadMikeHughes pic.twitter.com/svtviTEi8f, Justin Chapman (@justindchapman) February 22, 2020, document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Lindsey Lagestee Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, Boyfriend, death Cause, caree. We've received your submission. Who is more pathetic, the people whose exploits populate YouTube channels filled with videos of appalling crashes and fatal accidents or the people who consume them as entertainment? World of Wonder Productionsthe television company behind RuPauls Drag Raceevidently reached a similar conclusion and signed Mike and Waldo to a Science Channel reality show tentatively titled Homemade Astronauts. On Saturday, February 22, Mike Hughes, aka Mad Mike Hughes, died in the crash of his homemade rocket. Hell, Im on Medicaid!. Michael Hughes (February 9, 1956 February 22, 2020), popularly known as "Mad" Mike Hughes, was an American limousine driver, professed flat-Earther, and daredevil known for flying in self-built steam rockets. He died following his rocket crash-landing in the open desert in California on 22 February 2020. The homebrew rocket maker had dreams of fame and fortune. Have you noticed the many advertisements that pop up when you are surfing the internet? WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time The Crispr Baby Scientist Is Back. He stated that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved him to launch his rocket and he is awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Success! Related Instead of Amboy, it would take place in a less remote spotwith cell phone service, hallelujah!eight miles south of Barstow. If those people promoting a flat earth for profit and dont believe the earth is flat had any decency, I would hope the death of Mike Hughes would cause them to stop. Larry and I found them about 20 yards away, a shredded tangle of green-and-purple nylon. Despite my misgivings, I was intrigued. Social media platforms like YouTube have also been criticized for serving as a platform for those espousing Flat Earth views, a criticism that last year it addressed by tweaking its algorithm to prevent from recommending such content to users. When I first heard of Hughes two years ago, I thought at the time that if he continued doing this, it would kill him. CHUTE! Although a public promoter of the flat Earth model, following his death his public relations representative said that Hughes had only used flat Earth as a PR stunt to acquire funding for his rockets. I didnt join them. Dust and sand fill the air as the rocket launches into the sky, and as the ship veers sharply to one side, a yellow and purple parachute can be seen falling off the vessel and floating down to Earth, surrounded by smoke from the rockets steam-powered engine. "[24][4][25][26], Hughes appeared in the music video for the Death Valley Girls' song "One Less Thing (Before I Die)". He launched a failed fundraising attempt for a rocket in 2016. Released in August 2019, this 94-minute documentary, co-directed by Toby Brusseau and Michael Linn, starred Mike Hughes, Waldo Sykes, Patrick Marchese. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Deontay Wilder Biography, Age, Height, Fiancee, Net Worth, Zo Kravitz Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Charlie Heaton net worth Career and Personal Life, Joe Arpaio Net Worth Career and Personal Life, Wyatt Russell Net Worth Career and Personal Life, Eric Decker Net Worth, Career and Personal Life, Brandon Sheets Net Worth, Personal Life and More, Christy Martin Net Worth, Early Life and Career, Sanya Richards-Ross Net Worth, Career and Personal Life, Julius Peppers Net Worth, Career and Personal Life, Austin Trout Net Worth, Early Life, Physical Measures, Kyle Kuzma Biography, Age, Height, Spouse and Net Worth, Mavado, His Career, Net Worth and Personal Life, Christopher Martin, his Net Worth, Career, Personal Life, Arlo Guthrie Net Worth, Biography and More, Johnny Van Zant Net Worth, Biography, Lifestyle and More, Tommy James Net Worth, Biography, Age, Height and Spouse, Willie Falcon Net worth, Biography and Information, Jack Canfield Net Worth, Career, Biography and More, Dr. Michael Beckwith Net Worth, Biography and More, Isaac Mizrahi, Biography, Net Worth, Family, John Maxwell Net Worth, Biography, Bibliography and More, What was Mad Mike Hughes marital status? Very likely did not survive. The rocket appeared to rub against the launch apparatus, which might have torn the parachutes attached to it, according to Justin. Yeah, I guess. This Christmas, Its Firmageddon as Climate Change Hits Oregon, More than a million acres of state forest contain trees that have succumbed to stressors exacerbated by a multiyear drought, A New Computer Proof Blows Up Centuries-Old Fluid Equations. I put my trust in Waldos assessment of Mike: Hes got a lucky star. His mission was to launch his vesselto a height of 35,000-feet in an attempt to confirm his theory that the earth is flat. Friends and family. "There were a couple of live streamers, like . He reached a height of 1,875 feet. He had a lot of time to surf YouTube and he went down the YouTube rabbit hole and developed some weird beliefs., In 2018, Hughes successfully launched himself in a rocket nearly 1,900 feet in the air and landed in the Mojave Desert near Amboy, Calif., a feat captured on camera for Rocketman., When we were filming it, we were thinking to ourselves, Wow, this is dangerous, Brusseau said. Heres What Hes Doing Next. Hughes was always planning his next stunt, with each one taking him higher than the last. On social media, many outside the community poked fun at Hughes death, referring to him as a Darwin Award nominee and joking that his death was in itself proof of the effect of gravity. Waldo cajoled me into writing a brief, lighthearted story about the episode. The series was scheduled to air on the US Science Channel. To raise money and awareness, they plan to first launch Hughes 5,000 feet high in a steam-powered rocket., Hughes told Forbes in 2018, People think Im rich and Im making all this money off these rocket launches. Nobody gave a shit about this stunt. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. [4], In 2002, Hughes set a Guinness World Record with a 103-foot (31m) jump in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine. I believe the truth is worth taking risks for.. In 2002, daredevil Mad Mike Hughes successfully jumped a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine 103 feet at the Perris Auto Speedway in Riverside County. There was no official anything. A bolt was missing. According to the BLM, after seeing some news articles about the planned launch, a BLM representative reached out to Hughes with concerns. He was widely famous due to his self made rocket engineer and limo stuntman and also for his thoughts regarding Flat Earth theory. Internet Explorer is no longer supported. Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. We want to hear it. In response to a request for comment, a representative for the Science Channel said, Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. This California farm kingdom holds a key, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, These are the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles, New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater, Gina Lollobrigida, film star who conquered Italy, Hollywood and the world, dies at 95, Storm sets new L.A. rain records. But the crews lack of urgency told a different story. Mad Mike died at the age of 64. At the time of his death, he was under indictment for extortion, thanks to a scheme based on his theory that spelling a persons name entirely in capital letters entitled someone else to their entire estate (or something like that). Mike was born in the Hughes family and possessed a white ethnical background. An O-ring failed. Chute! The 100 Best Albums of 2022.

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